Lubricating system for internal-combustion engines



Jan. 6 1931. E. J. SWEETLAND 1,787,961

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 10, 1923 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 i 5 J? a l 5' 426' I ll 49 all/14w I,

l/Vl/ENTOr? A TTORNEYS Jan. 6, 1931.

' E. J. SWEETLAND 1,787,961 LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 10. 192:5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z J2 F v 7 7 6/ Pd .4

70 [NI/ENTOR a 2'1, 7 I r ""M A TTORNEYS Patented Jan. 6, 1931 Ems'r J, SWEETLAND, or nazra'ron, PENNSYLVANIA LUIBBICL'IING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed April 16, 1823. Serial 80/631,113.

invention relates to lubricatin systems for internal combustion engines, an particularly to a method of and apparatus forkeeping free of deleterious matter the oil used in such systems Without removing the oil from the latter. v i

In connection with internal combustion engines, it has come to berealized that proper lubrication requires that the lubricating oil,

which is usually stored in the crank case and is fed to the bearings in various ways, he. kept free of deleterious matter,'such as dirt,

metal particles, carbon, water, light hydrocarbons, etc. It has heretofore been custom- 1 ary for the users of internal combustion engines to withdraw from the engine at frequent intervals the dirty oil and replace it by new, clean oil. however, the oil of an internal combustion 2 engine is not maintained uniformly free of deleterious matter, but the engine is merely at intervals supplied with new, clean oil, which during use becomes increasingly contaminated with deleterious matter until it is drawn ofi" and replaced by'new oil.

The general object of the present invention.

is to provide a new and improved method of and means for removing the deleterious matter from the lubricating oil used in an internal combustion engine without removing the oil from the engine, whereby the oil may beconstantly and permanently freed of deleterious matter with which it may become contaminated during the operation of the 5 engine, with the result that the oil is main tained at all times in a substantially clean condition. y

The present invention may be considered an improvement upon the method and ap- 40 paratus described in my copending application, Serial No. 620,087, filed February 19, 1923, Patent No. 1,718,390, dated June 25, 1929 for improvements in lubricating systems for internal combustion engines. The method and apparatus described in that application is characterized by the fact among others, that the engine lubricating c.l is constantly purified without removing it from the circulatory system, by causing all or a portion of the oil to pass through an element Even when this is done,

capable of intercepting the deleterious matter which forms a cake on said element, which cake at intervals may be removed from the circulatory system in situ upon said element. In the apparatus described in that application, there is provided a filter by which the impurities are removed from the oil, which filter may be bodily removed from the system and discarded when it has become so filled with impurities that the passage of oil therethrough is unduly impeded. The method and apparatus which form the subject of the present invention may be considered as differing from the method and apparatus described in the aforesaid co-pending 5 application, in the fact, among others, that instead of a removable filter the e is provided a settling and storage tank for the lubricating oil which is maintained filled with oil under pressure and from which the deposited deleterious matter may be withdrawn from time to time.

More broadly considered, however, the present invention may be regarded as a new and improved method of re-conditioning used oil in the lubricating system of an internal combustion engine, characterized by the facts that a stream of said oil is circulated through a path auxiliary to the normal. lubricating path, that a volume of said oil is 30 stored in said auxiliary path, and that the flow of oil through said auxiliary path isretarded so as to augment precipitation of impurities at the storage point. Moreover, in its preferred form, the method is further characterized by the fact that an attenuated stream of the stored oil is fed to a distilling device, whence it is returned to the lubrieating system of the engine. l

While manyforms of settling chamber and distilling device may be used in carrying out the method which is the subject of the present invention, the forms of these devices hereinafter described are particularly adapted to cooperatewith one another and with the other elements in the system. These devices are believed to be novel and patentable individual1y,and in combination with one another and with the other devices hereinafter Y which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, more or less diagrammatic in form and partly in section, of an internal combustion engine, having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation of the distilling device,-mounted in the exhaust manifold of the engine;

F ig., 3 is a fragmentary, plan view of the exhaust manifold of the engine, showing the distilling device mounted thereon;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the zigzag trough in which the oil is conveyed through the distilling chamber;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional elevaiion through said trough on the line55 of Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation through one of the runs of the trough on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of the settling tank having a scraper embodied therein; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view on the line 88 of Fig. 7

Like parts are referred to by the same reference characters throughout the drawings.

The principal features of the automobile engine shown in Fig. 1 are the cylinder block 10, crank-case '11, fan 12, radiator 13, ho0'd 14, and exhaust manifold 15. In accordance with the common practice, it is assumed that the lubricating oil for the engine is stored in the bottom of the crank-case 11, which serves as an oil reservoir, from which-it is drawn by the oil pump 18, which may be driven from the crank-shaft of the engine through the gearing in the usual manner. The oil pump 18 supplies the lubricating oil to the engine bearings, and to the devices hereinafter described which free the oil from deleterious matter, after which it flows back to the crank-case. The oil pump 18 is shown as connected on its intake side to the pipe 20, the end of which extends preferably 'to the lowest point of the'crank-case 11, for example, into the depression 22 the latter; and on its outlet slde said pump 18is connected to the pipe 23, from which branch pipes such as 24 lead to the various bearings to be lubricated. Branching from the pipe 23 is a pipe 26, provided with a T pipe-fitting27, to which pipes 28 and 29 are connected. The pipe 28 1s connected to the pipe 30 leadin back .to the crank-case 11, through the sa ety valve '31 which may be of any suitable form. As .shown, this valve is of a t characterized by the ball 33, located in a chamber in the valve casin and yieldinglyheld against a valve seat 1n the mit oil to pass back to the crank-case through it, but this valve will open if the pressure against which the oil pump 18 is working is abnormally increased on account of excessive viscosity of the'oil or because of unusually high speed of the engine. j

As shown in the drawing, the pipe 29 leads to the settling tank 38, which will be hereinafter described; and interposed in this pipe 29 is a loaded check-valve 39. This valve 39 may be of any suitable and well-known form, its functions being to prevent backward flow from the settling ta'nk'38, and to interpose resistance to the flow of oil through the pipe 29 for reasons that will hereinafter appear. A form of loaded check-valve adapted for this purpose is shown and described in my co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 620,087, hereinbefore mentioned.

As will be apparent from Fig. 1, the set tling tank 38 therein shown comprises a cylindrical casing which may be supported by a metalstrap 39 bolted to the dash board 40 of the vehicle. This casing has a conical bottom 41, provided in its lower end with a drain cock 42; the top of the casing being provided with a 'cover 43, which may be removable or not, as desired. As shown, the cover 43 is providedwith a central opening closed by a threaded cap 44. The pipe 29 enters the casing of the settling tank near the bottom thereof, and is preferably aimed downwardly as shown. Near its upper end,

- the valve, hereinafter mentioned, which controls the flow of oil through said pipe; This screen 47 may be readily cleaned through the opening in the settling tank casing closed by the cap 44. The outlet pifpe 46"'is pro-,

vided with a constriction, pre rably in the formof an adjustable si ht-feed valve 49, which may be of any wel -known form, the stem of which is shown as provided with a handle 5.0-, by which the flow through said valve may be adjusted. Leadin from the bottom of the sight feed valve 49 1s a pipe 52, through which the oil is carried back to the crank-case, preferably through a distilling device, which will remove from it the lighter hydrocarbons, such as gasoline and kerosene and water, wilt}; which the oil may have become contami ated.

A form of distilling device which I believe "to be new andparticularl satisfactory for the exhaust'manifold of the engine; its

, distilling exhaust gases of the engine.

' cover and adapted to put packing1 details of construction being illustrated in Figs. 2 to 6. As shown inthe drawings, the

device comprises a cylindrical casing 55, adapted to be inserted: in an opening in the top of the exhaust manifold 15, thereby forming. a chamber which is heated bythe The casing gland 56, which is in threaded engagement with a boss 57 surrounding thie-hole in the exhaust manifold 15 through which the casing 55 passes; as: bestos 'or other suitable packing 58' bein arranged as shown for-the purpose of ma 'ng a'tight connect-ion between the casing 55 and the upper wall of the exhaust manifold 15. At its top, the casing 55 is providedwith a is surrounded byithe removable cover 59 which is inthreaded engagement with said casing; and a pipe 52 passes through this cover, a tight connection therewith being obtained by means of. a gland 60 threading into a cavity in the top of the I 61 under compression. Connected with e bottom of the casing 55 is a pipe 64 which leads back to the crank-case 11 of the engine- This pipe 64 passes through the bottom Wall of the ex-.

haust, manifold 15, and a tight joint at that point may which threads intothe boss 67 on the bottom of the exhaust manifold, and puts packing 68 under compression. The casing 55 is also provided near its top with a pipe 70 through which thelight hydrocarbons-and water vapor escape or pass to a suitable receptacle. -In order to delay the passage of the oil through the heated casing 55, I have provided inside the latter what may be called a zigzag trough which receivesthe oil from the pipe 52, and down which trough the oil flows to the bottom of the casing 55, from which it'passes into the pipe 64. While this zigzag trough may, take many forms, the

form shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6 is, I believe,

particularly cheap to make and satisfactory in use. This troughv is madeof a strip of sheet metal having shown in Fig. 6, which is characterized by the trough portion 7 OSand flat-side portions 71. At intervals, the strip is punched on curved lines throughout the trough portion 7 O, and the strip is then bent into zigzag form leaving at eachbend outstanding lips 7 3, and openings'through which the oil may flow from one runof the strip to the next run below it. The strip is so punched and thelips 73 are so bent that the zlgzag trough thus formed fits snugly within the cylindrical casing 55, and isheld' therein fromrattling by the spring action of the lips 73 enaging the inside of the casing. Oil entering the distilling device through the pipe 52 flows down the runs of into the throu h having a conical bottom 76, and

A ited within the casin be obtained by means ofa gland 66 valve the cross-sectional form will be seen that the oil is agitated as it drops from one run of the zigzag trough to reason the feed is stopped.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a modifiedlforin of settling tank, characterized by a scraper or stirrer -b means of which deleterious matter deposited within the casing may be scraped from its bottom and sides and stirred up preparatory to draining it from the casing. This form of settling tank comprises a casing 75, a removable cover 77. The inlet pipe129' is shown entering the casing near its bottom, and the outlet pipe 46', which emerges from the casing near its top, is shown as provided with an upwardly turned end carrying a screen 47 At its bottom, the casing 75 is provided with a drain cook 42 through which the impurities deposare alloawed to escape from time to time. ithin the casing 75 is a scraper comprising a spindle which passes out through an opening in the cover 77, and is provided at its upper end with a knurledhead 81, a gland 82 and packing beknurled knob 81, the spindle'80 carrying the scraping member may be rotatably and vertically moved for the purpose of scraping deposited impurities from the bottom of the casing and stirring them up prior to draining them out through the drain cook 42'.

The mode of operation of the oil purifying system described above is as follows: The 49 should be so adjusted that the flow of oil through it .will be at a comparatively slow rate, that is, only a very small percentage of the capacity of the oil circulating pump 18. Under normal operation, the pump-18 will supply oil through the pipe'23 and branch pipes 24 to the engine bearings; and through the pipes 26 and 29 will furnish oil to the settling tank 38, which will be kept filled with oil under pressure. Ordinarily, oil will not flow back to the crank-case through the safe ty valve 31,.this valve serving merely as a release under extra-ordinary conditions, as hereinbefore mentioned. Owing to the fact that the settling tank '38 is completely filled, there is no space in it for the oil to slop around; and because of the slow rate of flow through this tank, deleterious matter in the oil, even minute articles of carbon, will settle in the bottom 0? said tank. The oil leaving terious matter deposited in the bottom of the tank, can be drawn oil at intervals through drain cock .42. Owing to the slow rate at WhlCll oil enters the settling tank, the entering stream will exert ver little stirring cffeet upon the contents 0 the tank. If desired, however, a coagulating material may be added to the oil in the crank-case or may be inserted in the settling tank to promote settling of the impurities. The purified oil,

passing through the sight valve 49, flows through the pipe 52 to the distilling device through which it passes, in the manner hereinbefore described, and thence through the pipe 64 to the crank-case. The lighter hydrocarbons and water distilled out of the oil as it-is passingthrough the distilling device escape through the pipe 70, as hereinbefore mentioned. The loaded check-valve 39 performs two functions, namely, it prevents the contents of the settling tank from draining backwards through the pipe 29 when the engine is not in operation, and insures that the path of the oil through the settling tank will alwaysofier at least a considerable resistance to the flow ofoil. I If the valve 39 or its equivalent were not employed, it might happen, if the valve 49 were opened Wide, that the path for the oil through the settling tank and distilling device would offer so much less resistance to the flow of oil than is offered by the paths through the engine bearings, that the pressure of the oil supply to the latter would be insufiicient to sufiiciently lubricate said bearings. check-valve'39, this possibility is prevented.

The mode of operation of the system when the form of settling tankshown in Fi s'. 7

and 8 is used is the same as above descri ed except that the scraping and stirring device embodied in this tank permits the settlings in said tank to be scraped from the bottom and sides thereof, when they are being drained out through drain cock 42'.

-It will be understood that one of the ad-.

vantages of the above-described system resides in the fact that it is functionin to a certain extent even when the engine is not in operation. I propose that the settling tank shall have a capacity of from one to four quarts, depending upon: the size of the engine; and after the car has been left standing for some time, the oil in the upper part of the settling tank will become perfectly clear, and when the engine is started again will be returned to the crank-case.

While I have described certain apparatus for carrying out my invention, it is to be understood that this is merely illustrative and By providing the loaded ber in which the lighter hydro-carbons are distilled oil and from which the passes back to the crank-case.

2. In combination with the lubricating system of an internal combustion engine comprising an oil reservoir and a pump arranged to draw oil therefrom and circulate it, a settling tank, a distilling device adapted to distill off from oil passing through it the lighter hydro-carbons, and connections for diverting part only of the oil from the outlet side of v.

said pump to said settling tank, thence to the distilling device, and then back to said oil reservoir.

3. A distilling device adapted to be used in connection with the lubricating system of an' internal combustion engine, comprising a casing adapted to be mounted in cooperative relation to the exhaust pipe of the engine, so

as to receive heat from the latter, the said casing being provided withan entrance pipe near its top connected to receive part only of the oil from the engine, and an outlet pipe at its bottom and an opening near its top for the escape of vapors, and a zigzag trough within said casing adapted to receive oil entering from the inlet pipe and convey it through said casing.

4. The method of reconditioning used oil in the lubricating system of an internal combustion engine which consists in circulating a part only of said used oil through a path auxiliary to the normal lubricating path, storing a volume of said oil in said auxiliary path and retarding the flow of said 011 through said auxiliary path so as to augment precipitation at the storage point, and then feeding an attenuated stream of the stored -oil to a distilling device whence it is returned to the lubricating system of the engine.

5. Means for removing first the heavier solids and then the lighter volatile impurities from the oil circulatory system of an internal combustion engine while the oil is in circulation during the operation of said engine, which comprises means for elevating a branch stream consisting of part only of said oil from the circulatory system into a settling tank, means for causing the oil leaving the settling tank to fiow in an attenuated stream through a lengthened and indirect path through a heated element having a drainage opening adjacent to its lowermost point to permit substantially all of the oil to drain out of said heated element immediately when the engine stops and the flow of oil into said element ceases.

6. The method of removing sediment and volatile matter from the oil circulating system of an internal combustion engine without withdrawing the oil from said system, which comprises passing the oil through a tank at a point substantially higher than the normal oil level in the crank ease of said engine, allowing the solid particles in the oil to settle in the said tank, conducting the oil from the tank out of the upper portion thereof through a purifying device to remove more foreign substances from the oil, conducting the oil through a heated element to remove the volatile matter and then back to the engine and intermittently removing the sediment from the tank.

7. The method of removing sediment and volatile matter from the oil circulating system of an internal combustion engine without'withdrawing the oil from said system, which comprises passing the oil through a 'tank and allowing particles in suspension to settle out of the oil therein, conducting the oil from the tank to an oil purifying device.

to remove other foreign substances from the oil slowly passing said oil through a tortuous path heating device to remove volatile matter and then returning the clean and purified oil to said system.

8. The method of removing deleterious matter from the oil circulating system of an internal combustion engine without withdrawing the oil from said system and at a I rate faster than said matter accumulates in the entire system which comprises passing;

a portion of the oil through a tank while the remainder of the oil works in said system, allowing particles suspended to settle: down in said tank as said portion flows through the tank, conducting sald portion to a purifying device to extract foreign substances from said portion passing said oil through a heated chamber to remove volatile matter and finally returning said portion in a clean and purified condition to said system.

'- ERNEST J. SWEETLAND. 

